NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has resigned from a new interfaith coalition, saying some fellow Southern Baptists felt it was inappropriate for him to support the building of…
U.S. Muslim population to double in 20 years
The U.S. Muslim population is expected to double over the next 20 years, fueled by immigration and higher-than-average fertility rates, according to a new report released Jan. 27. The authors of the report, “The Future of the Global Muslim Population”…
Ala. governor off to ‘rocky start’ with Jews, Muslims
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (RNS) — Jewish and Muslim groups want to know if they have a place in Alabama after Gov. Robert Bentley, just hours into office, said people who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his “brothers…
Liberty University’s seminary leads ranks of would-be chaplains
LYNCHBURG, Va. — According to Air Force data, no training program is more popular among prospective chaplains than Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, part of the late Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. One out of every five Air Force…
EDITORIAL: Panamanian partners and family
As I write, I am sitting on a wooden bench in a prayer garden in the shade of a huge guanacaste (enterolobium ciclocarpun) tree in Santa Clara, Panama. Strains of “Victory in Jesus” waft from the distant chapel on a…
HERITAGE: Climbing mountains
She called herself “a plain Jane.” She insisted — rightly and proudly so — that she was a housewife. True enough, she was devoted to her husband, “Greg,” and to her three sons — Harry, Gene and Joel. She did…
Top 100 churches in total gifts to Cooperative Missions listed
The top 100 Baptist General Association of Virginia churches in total gifts to Cooperative Missions in 2010 have been announced. In order to appear on the list, the church must have both contributed to Cooperative Missions in 2010 and have…
Dover association keeps promise to feed families
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Keeping a promise is a big deal. Whether it’s a commitment to make changes that will make a difference in your life, a promise to family or friends or one made to God, promises are important….
Kentucky Baptists cut jobs, freeze salaries
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — The Kentucky Baptist Convention announced job cuts Jan. 31 intended to free up more money for national and international ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention. Five full-time jobs and 19 part-time jobs are being eliminated. Employees…
Clergy abuse cases move through legal system
BENTON, Ark. (ABP) — A music minister convicted of molesting young boys at a Southern Baptist church in Arkansas got a parole hearing two years into a 10-year prison sentence, while a British Baptist minister jailed in Virginia for similar…
Morris Ashcraft, longtime Baptist educator, dies
EVANSTON, Ill. (ABP) — Morris Ashcraft, a longtime seminary professor and administrator who after retiring helped establish a free-standing seminary for moderates disenfranchised by the "conservative resurgence" in the Southern Baptist Convention, died Jan. 29 after a long illness. He…
CBF announces layoffs
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced deep staff cuts Jan. 28, citing lingering financial woes. According to a news release, 13 positions have been eliminated and one reclassified. Two of the jobs will move to contract positions. The…